A Valentine for the Cowboy

by Rebecca Winters

“Then let’s do it. Call me when you get here and I’ll come down from the range to help you get settled in.”

  If letting her live in his house would make this experiment work faster, then he could get the love of his life back sooner. Unfortunately, the fear that Tessa could suddenly develop inadequacy issues again haunted him. He didn’t want to believe in another reversal, but Libby was her own little person and who knew what could happen.

  There would probably be lots of anxious moments when Libby didn’t turn to Tessa, which would prove difficult for her mom. Eli knew he was taking a risk and he would need to be patient. But it would all be worth it to marry Brianna once he knew Libby was secure in her mother’s love.

  Tomorrow he’d get up extra early and drive to the gem shop before work. He wanted another look at the dark blue sapphire, cut in the shape of a heart.

  Blue sapphires with extremely high clarity were rare and very valuable. A three-carat stone of that quality was probably the most valuable of all the cut stones in his mother’s collection.

  Years ago she’d shown the stone to him and his brothers. She’d let them examine it with her handheld loupe. Their mom told them she was reserving it for just the right person. Most buyers wanted a round or princess cut. Not everyone wanted a heart-shaped stone. But whoever did would be getting a prize.

  Not until he’d looked into Brianna’s eyes for the first time and learned she was a Valentine baby did he think about that stone. For all he knew, his mother had sold it since then.

  He would let himself inside the shop and open the safe to see if it was still there. Valentine’s Day was coming up soon...

  Chapter Nine

  Brianna came out of the shower to hear the one o’clock newscast. It predicted that Valentine’s Day would be the warmest day in Marysville so far this year. Seventy degrees with only a few tufts of clouds. After the twenties and low thirties of Montana, it was positively balmy in California.

  Three long, agonizing weeks had passed since she’d flown back home. Brianna was surprised she’d lasted this long without seeing Eli. Her decision to leave had been the right one. Eli had come to realize it, too. His nightly phone calls let her know Libby and her mother were connecting. The wonderful news helped Brianna to survive.

  Today was her birthday. She’d been waiting to hear from him since morning, but his call hadn’t come. She finished dressing in the black dress she’d worn with him to the French restaurant in Missoula a month before. It felt like a hundred years since then. Doug and Carol were taking her to the Napa Valley for her birthday dinner celebration. If their parents were alive, they’d all be going.

  One thing about living in Montana with her aunt and uncle was that Brianna had done her grieving away. Now that she was back home, it wasn’t as hard as she’d thought it would be to live around the memories. The farm was thriving and Doug was so much happier than when she’d first left. They were able to laugh and reminisce without going to pieces.

  But by the time they arrived at the Beaulieu Vineyard and walked around the gardens, she’d grown a little despondent. Why hadn’t Eli called?

  They were shown to their reserved table on the terrace and given menus. The terrace had a gorgeous view of the vineyard with a trellis roof overhead covered in red bougainvillea.

  Once they were seated, Brianna eyed her brother critically. “You’ve worn a permanent smile on your face ever since we got in the car. What aren’t you telling me?”

  “It’s your birthday, remember?”

  “How could I forget? But you’re acting like you’ve got a huge secret. Do you want me to open my present now? Is that what this is all about?” Carol averted her eyes, letting Brianna know something was going on. “If you don’t tell me soon, I’m going to explode with curiosity.”

  “Well, we can’t have that.” Doug winked. “Okay, then. A few days ago Carol went to the doctor—”

  “Get out of here!” Brianna cried out, knowing exactly what her brother meant.

  “We’re expecting in September but wanted to wait until you were here to tell you.”

  “Carol—” Brianna jumped up from her chair and ran around the table to hug both of them. “This is the best birthday present I’ve ever gotten. I’m going to be an aunt!”

  Her joy was so all-consuming that she didn’t realize someone was approaching their table. When she looked up, she almost passed out when she spotted Eli standing there. In his tan suit and white shirt, he was easily the most gorgeous male in the restaurant. Their gazes collided.

  “Happy Birthday, Brianna.”

  In the periphery she saw the waiter make another place at the table, but she was so spellbound she couldn’t move.

  He hurried to her side and put an arm around her waist to support her. “I flew into Sacramento and rented a car. Your brother and I got acquainted over the phone and he told me where to find you,” he whispered against her neck, kissing the soft, scented skin. “Come and sit down next to me.”

  “Eli—” She sagged against him. “I can’t believe you’re here.”

  “I’ve been planning this for two weeks. You have no idea how much I’ve looked forward to your birthday.” His eyes worshipped her. “You’re my valentine.”

  Somehow she made it to her seat with his help. He sat next to her and pulled a small, dark blue, velvet box from his suit pocket. “Open it. I don’t want to wait.”

  Her heart thundered in her chest. With trembling hands, she opened the box and then gasped. Twilight had sneaked up on them. Light from the candle centerpiece lit up the facets of the large blue sapphire heart mounted in a white-gold setting.

  “You already agreed to marry me. This makes it official.” He took the ring out of the box and reached for her left hand, sliding it home on her ring finger.

  The sapphire had to have come from the Clayton sapphire mine. She was thrilled out of her mind. “It’s incredible.”

  “That’s my heart. It’s yours.”

  Tears ran down her cheeks. “This has to mean things are going well with Tessa and Libby. Oh, Eli—” Forgetting they had an audience, she threw her arms around his neck and clung to him.

  “Brianna? The waiter is coming with our dinner.”

  Her brother’s reminder forced her to let go of Eli. She knew her face was flushed.

  “After we eat, we’ll walk over to the other side of the restaurant where I can dance with my valentine,” Eli whispered. “I’ve been dreaming about this moment for so long.”

  She tried to behave, but it was close to impossible to be seated next to him and not climb on his lap and kiss him nonstop. Brianna had ached for him during their separation.

  Doug and Carol congratulated the two of them, and Brianna told Eli they were expecting a baby. That led to talk about being a new father. She could tell her brother liked Eli a lot. But, oh, how happy she was when he asked her to dance and they were able to excuse themselves.

  With his arm around her waist, he walked them through the restaurant to the dance floor, where a live band was playing. Dozens of red, pink and white heart-shaped balloons had been strung overhead. Eli pulled her against him and they moved as one to the music.

  “I’m in Heaven right now,” she murmured against his chest.

  “You’re not the only one. You look gorgeous tonight, by the way.”

  She was in an enchanted state when the lead singer announced that someone named Brianna was celebrating her birthday today. The band started to play “Happy Birthday” and everyone in the restaurant sang along.

  “I can’t believe you,” she cried in surprise, hiding her face against Eli’s shoulder.

  “I gave him a tip before coming to join you.”

  Brianna finally lifted her head. “Eli? I’ll never forget this night as long as I live.”

  “It’s not over yet
.” He kissed her mouth and they danced until he said, “Let’s go out to the rental car. I only have a half hour before I have to get back to the airport, and there are things we need to discuss in private.”

  What? “But you just got here—”

  “I know. Wymon called the family together for some important ranching business we have to take care of tomorrow, so I have to get back to Missoula tonight. Even Toly is flying in from Reno after tonight’s rodeo. Roce is going to meet us both at the airport and drive us to the ranch.”

  Eli said good-night to her brother and Carol, and they agreed to wait at the restaurant until Brianna got back. Then she and Eli headed out to the parking lot.

  He slid behind the wheel of his rental car and pulled her into arms. They devoured each other before he finally pulled back and heaved a long sigh. “I have to go, Brianna,” he said.

  “I don’t want you to leave. How am I going to let you go?” she asked.

  He covered her face with kisses. “I want you to come back to Montana as soon as you can. Tomorrow if possible.”

  “That soon?” she cried with excitement. “Are you sure?”

  “Positive. That ring is to remind you that we’re going to be man and wife just as soon as we can find a date that works.”

  “Eli—” She tried to catch her breath. “While I can still think, tell me how it’s really going with Tessa and Libby.”

  “The two of them are slowly making progress. I think letting Tessa sleep at the house for the first week was a good idea. We’re all working on getting Libby to say mama, but it hasn’t happened yet.

  “Last week I drove Libby to Thompson Falls and stayed the night to see how she handled an overnight with Tessa and her family. She’s been acquainted with her grandparents from the time she was born, but that night wasn’t her best.

  “They’ve set up a nursery, but she didn’t want to be in there alone with Tessa unless she could see me. I ended up lying on the floor in a sleeping bag until she fell asleep. After breakfast we could tell she wasn’t at ease, so Tessa went back with us and stayed all week.

  “She’s with her now and they seem very comfortable together at this point, but it’s going to take time for Libby to get used to being away from the ranch with her.”

  “What about Sarah?”

  “I’ll continue paying her no matter what we work out. This week she’s back home with her grandparents so Tessa and Libby can be completely alone in the house while I’m at work. Mom and Solana are nearby in case anything happens.”

  Brianna kissed his jaw. “I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but it sounds like it’s working.”

  “It is,” he cried softly against her mouth. “That’s why I want you back with me, Brianna—so we can make wedding plans. Call me after you’ve booked your flight, okay? I’ll reimburse you after you’re back.”

  She clung to him. The separation from him had only proved to her that, without Eli in her life, she couldn’t imagine going on. Though people didn’t die from a broken heart, they didn’t fully live, either.

  “I love you, Eli. I didn’t know how much longer I could have lasted here without you.”

  “Don’t you know I feel the same way? Soon we’re going to be together forever.”

  Forever.

  One more kiss and then she got out of the car and watched him drive away. All the way back to the patio where Doug and Carol were waiting, Brianna studied the spectacular engagement ring Eli had given her. To think he’d flown all this way just to give it to her on her birthday. The fact that he had to get right back for a family business meeting made it even more important to her.

  * * *

  ELI GLANCED AROUND the ranch house living room. It had been a while since the whole Clayton clan had assembled. Wymon had indicated this meeting was important. He wore an expectant look after they’d all found a place to sit.

  “As you know, our father took out a lawsuit against the BLM three years ago because they started increasing our taxes for the acid mine drainage coming from our mine and polluting the water. It’s happening to many metal mine owners throughout the West. The problem is that there are so many abandoned mines in the country, yet the BLM has to find the revenue to clean those up, too, so they get their money by gouging active mine owners.

  “One solution proposed to Dad was to implement a water treatment plan at our mine, but it’s terribly expensive. Worse, we will be sued if the water still didn’t meet federal standards. In other words, under the Clean Water Act, even if we tried to clean up the drainage, we would be liable for any pollution that continued to flow from it.

  “Dad got together with our attorneys to work out a time frame with the BLM. But progress was slow and he feared a new tax would soon be levied against us. He tied up a lot of money to pay experts to come up with a different way to cut down on the contaminants, and we’ve been dealing with that problem ever since.

  “Well, I’m here to tell you that our worries are over. The night before last, the lawyer told me the news that we’ve won the appeal. I’ll read the history of the case for you.

  “‘Clark Fork is Montana’s largest river and travels down from the Continental Divide. It threads its way between the Flint Creek, Sapphire and Garnet ranges that are filled with mines on its way to Missoula. In 1908, a flood washed tons of contaminated sediments from those mines into the river. Arsenic, copper, zinc, lead and cadmium contaminated millions of tons of sediment along 120 miles of the river’s banks. The river’s trout all but vanished.

  “Montana is one of relatively few states that have active coal mining and one of still fewer allowed to use royalties from coal mines on non–coal mine reclamation. The state gets between three and four million dollars in Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act royalties per year to deal with thousands of contaminated sites, not nearly enough to help its lands recover from over a century of mining.

  “There are more environmental problems associated with abandoned mine lands than there will ever be funding to take care of them. If there was a federal royalty for the metal-mining industry, there could be a consistent source of funding revenue. Unlike oil, gas and coal industries, the metal-mining industry does not have to pay royalties to the federal government. This is due to the 1872 Mining Law, which hasn’t been updated since it was first passed in an attempt to encourage the settlement of the West.

  “In the case of the Sapphire Ranch versus the BLM, the Clayton Sapphire Mine is still active and taxes were levied against the mine because of the drainage coming from it. Acid mine drainage is a major problem in the West. Over half of impaired streams are contaminated by metals, many from draining mines like the Claytons’.

  “Since the lawsuit, the Clayton Sapphire Mine has managed to implement two treatments that have brought the drainage into compliance with federal standards by making limestone sidings of the channel and spreading carbon over the forest area to reduce contaminants. Therefore, there will be no more taxes levied against the Clayton Sapphire Mine for the foreseeable future.’”

  While the rest of the family responded with a collective cheer, Eli quietly hugged his mom. He knew how much sleep she’d lost over the long-standing court case.

  “I’m only sorry that Dad isn’t here to celebrate with us,” Wymon continued. “With the money we’re going to save, we’ll be able to buy more cattle and build some much-needed holding pens.”

  Roce got up and gave Wymon a bear hug. “You’re the best, bro.”

  Their mother rose to her feet, as well. “This is the news our family has been waiting three years for. Wymon, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for doing a wonderful job of taking the reins at such a painful time and despite great personal sacrifice.

  “And I want to thank all of my sons for working tirelessly alongside the stockmen and Luis to bring continued success to this ranch. I’m
sure your father is rejoicing up in Heaven.”

  His heart brimming with emotion, Eli added his thoughts. “I, too, want to thank Wymon for his leadership and courage during a difficult period. I also want to thank all of you for helping me through a very dark time in my life. Libby couldn’t have been born into a greater family. Mom has been a saint, and Solana has been right there with her this whole time, too.”

  Suddenly Toly spoke up. “Amen to everything Eli just said. And thanks to all of you for supporting my selfish ambition to make it to Las Vegas. If I get there, it will be my last attempt to win the gold buckle. After that, I’m coming home to ranch full-time again. I won’t forget what you’ve all sacrificed for me.”

  “We’re proud of you,” Wymon added. “And now, Solana has prepared a feast. Let’s head to the dining room, shall we?”

  Luis joined them and they celebrated with a toast to the future. Once lunch was over, Eli was getting ready to leave for his house when his mother asked him to go upstairs with her.

  Curious as to what she had to say, he followed her up to her room. She closed the bedroom door before facing him with a sober look in her eyes.

  “Mom?” he asked, his heart rate picking up. “What’s wrong?”

  “Sit down for a minute.”

  He frowned but snagged a chair while she sat on the side of her bed. “Is this about Tessa and Libby?”

  She sat straight with her hands on her knees. “Yes. We haven’t talked since you left for California yesterday. No one knows you went. Did you give Brianna the ring?”

  “Yes. If you could have seen her eyes...”

  “I can imagine. Have you set a date yet?”

  “We didn’t have time, but she’ll be flying in tomorrow evening and we’ll discuss it then.”

  A deep sigh escaped her lips. “That’s what I need to talk to you about.”

  “Why do I get the feeling I’m not going to like this?”

  She got up from the bed. “I wish your father were here. This is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.”